What is the true story of a neighborhood? Is it what we hear on the news—or what the people who have lived there for decades have experienced?

In this heartfelt episode of History In Me, I sit down with my grandmother, Valeria Purley, to explore her personal journey living in the Spanish Lake community of St. Louis. She reflects on witnessing neighborhood changes over the past two decades, from declining property values and increased crime to a gradual sense of peace and renewal.

Together, we discuss how media coverage can shape our perception of communities, why personal experiences often tell a different story, and the importance of preserving the voices of those who have lived through history rather than simply reading about it.

More than a conversation about one neighborhood, this episode is ...